ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling party is seeking support for a new constitutional amendment that could reshape the country’s judicial and federal structure, senior politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Monday, revealing that the government was proposing the creation of a constitutional court and a revision in how funds are distributed among provinces.
Constitutional amendments in Pakistan require two-thirds approval in both houses of parliament and have historically been used to redefine the balance of power between the legislature, judiciary and provinces. The proposed 27th amendment follows the 26th constitutional amendment, passed in October 2024 amid stiff resistance from opposition parties and the legal fraternity. That measure empowered parliament to appoint the Supreme Court’s chief justice for a fixed term and created a new panel of senior judges to hear constitutional cases, changes critics said weakened judicial independence.
Pakistan’s constitution, adopted in 1973, has been amended more than two dozen times, often reflecting the country’s shifting balance among civilian governments, the military and the judiciary. Provisions such as the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, which governs how federal revenue is shared among provinces, are especially sensitive because they underpin Pakistan’s federal structure and provincial autonomy.
